Alito, Wahlberg to be among award recipients at Medal of Honor Convention in Knoxville

A U.S. Supreme Court justice, a Hollywood star, a sports commentator and a CNN correspondent have been announced as award recipients at the Medal of Honor Convention in Knoxville this fall.

Associate Justice Samuel Anthony Alito Jr., CBS golf commentator David Feherty, CNN chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper and actor and producer Mark Wahlberg will be recognized by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society during its annual convention, to be held this year in Knoxville on Sept. 10-13.

"As a convention committee, we nominated all awardees last year and are thrilled they have been approved by the society's board of directors for their outstanding achievements within their fields and for their commitments to the U.S. military," said Joe Thompson, convention co-chairman.

"We are excited for Alito, Tapper, Wahlberg and Feherty to travel to Knoxville to receive their awards at the Patriot Award Gala, which will be hosted by actor and former Society Award honoree Gary Sinise."

Alito, an Army veteran, will receive the Patriot Award, which is "presented to individuals who demonstrate a commitment to American freedom and the ideals embodied within the Medal of Honor," according to a news release Thursday.

Feherty will receive the Distinguished Citizen Award for his founding of the Troops First Foundation, which assists wounded service members returning home from war.

Tapper, anchor of the CNN news show "The Lead," will receive the "Tex" McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism for his recent book, "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor." The book recounts a deadly battle in Afghanistan for which two men received the Medal of Honor.